Chaser for his Heart
by Suni-Dlight
Summary: Can't really think of a good summary for this one. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1 Love or Obsession?

Love: A warm and tender liking; deep feeling of fondness and friendship; great affection or devotion.  
Obsession (Obsess): Fill the mind of; keeping the attention of to an unreasonable or unhealthy extent; haunt.

I guess you can say that my love for this guy started my first year at Hogwarts, at my first school Quidditch match.  
He was a third year and the best keeper i ever saw. And he was totally cute!  
I saw him more often after that first match because we were in the same house but i never once spoke to him. In fact, everytime he entered the same room as me, I ran!  
My friends, the good ones, tried to encourage me to talk to him.  
My other friends, the bad ones, said i would never have a chance.  
I refuse to listen to the bad friends.  
Second year was the year i tried out for the Quidditch team, the year I finally came sort of close to Oliver Wood, who was now a fourth year.  
Second year was possibly the year my obsession started to grow? Possibly. I'm still trying to figure that out.  
Third year was the year Harry Potter joined the team and the year Oliver became Captain and finally talked to me.  
"Hey, Daily!"  
"Yeah?" I called back, breathless. Trust me, i was not breathless because he talked to me. I was breathless because we had a brutal practice. I swear!  
He motioned me over to where he and Harry Potter stood. As i joined them, he slipped a friendly arm over my shoulders, making my face get hotter than it already was.  
"Harry, this is Nicole Daily," Oliver said.  
"Nick for short," I said, throwing in my two Knuts.  
"RIght. Well, Daily here is our fastest Chaser."  
I grinned, sort of knowing where this was going. Harry had a nimbus two thousand. I did too. But, i have more experience. I climbed on my broom.  
"If you can catch Daily, then you can catch the Snitch."  
I shot up in the air and, a moment later, I heard Harry come up with me.  
"Try and keep up, Harry!" I called.  
For a good while, Harry was far back but he surprised me by getting horribly close. His fingertips almost brushed my broomtail, but i pulled a flip and flew, upside down, under him. Harry gaped in surprise and i grinned at him.  
As Oliver called us in, I smiled and said, "Nice try, Harry. You almost got me. Next time, huh?"  
Harry simply smiled and nodded. He was a good kid.  
Oliver did that training thing with me and Harry often. Harry never managed to catch me (even though he caught the Snitch).  
My fourth year, i started to realize that i only had this year and next to get Oliver to notice me. I mean, actually _notice_ me (as a girl, not just a Quidditch player). Crap.  
Fifth year. He was leaving this year. Double crap.  
Towards the end of our year, towards our very last game, i took my broom out and flew around the pitch a couple of times, doing flips and reverses and straight down drops.  
"You shouldn't practice so hard," came a voice from the stands.  
I grinned and flew towards him. "Coming from the guy who eats, sleeps, lives, and drinks Quidditch."  
Oliver Wood shrugged and I down next to him.  
"It's going to be wierd, you know, leaving here," he said. "No matter where i go or what Quidditch team i'm on, there'll be nothing like Hogwarts."  
I didn't say anything because i figured that wasn't what he wanted me to do. Plus, i didn't think i could talk if i wanted to.  
"What about you?"  
I turned to look into those deep brown eyes. Big mistake. "M-me?"  
"Yeah. You've got two years left. It's never too early to start planning."  
"Well . . . I plan to be the first girl on a male's Quidditch team."  
I felt stupid after i said it. He was going to laugh, i knew it. Everyone did.  
But he smiled. He just . . . smiled. "I think you can do it."  
"Really?"  
"Really. I think you're a fantastic Chaser. Johnson hardly has a one up on you. Plus that, you've got spirit, Nick."  
I smiled. He thought i was a fantastic Chaser. He called me Nick instead of Daily.  
"There's just one thing i need you to do for me first," he said.  
"What's that?"  
Oliver stood and reached out his hand. "Help us win the Cup tomorrow."  
I grinned and took his hand. "Deal."  
And, with mostly Harry's help, we won the Cup.  
Oliver left and Quidditch seemed less there, though i still gave my all to it. But i missed him horribly. I thought of him every day, every night . . . .  
And that's what lead me to ask myself if i loved him or if i was obsessed.  
By definition, i suppose you could consider me a little bit of both.  
But technically, if you're in love with someone, wouldn't you think about them every day, every night?  
That's what i'd like to think, anyway.  
It's not healthy to be obsessed.


	2. Chapter 2 We'll See

Twenty-two-year-old Oliver Wood set the _Daily Prophet_ down, shaking his head.  
They had done it.  
They had actually let it pass.  
Not that there was anything wrong with it but still . . .  
His teammate and friend, Thomas Welty, Apparated into the room. Thomas Welty was stocky, perfect build for a Beater, with black hair and blue eyes. He was known as a 'Lady's Man', but to his teammates, he was clumsy unless he was on his broom.  
"Glad i wasn't naked," Oliver said, folding up the paper only to have Thomas thrown his copy at him.  
"Did you read this?" Thomas said. "I can't believe it! I just can't believe it!"  
"What's the big deal Thomas? Worst things have happened."  
Thomas stopped his pacing and turned to Oliver, his eyes wide. "Worst things? Like what?"  
"Like . . . uh, like the time Yancy got hit full on in the face with the Bludger."  
Yancy Jones was the other Beater, almost as stocky as Thomas with brown hair and brown eyes. The Bludger broke his nose. His handsome brown face never looked quite the same again.  
Thomas rolled his eyes. "Like that's never happened to any other Beater. Oliver, did you actually read this article? This big old front page article?"  
"Yeah I read it."  
"And?"  
"And i don't think it's such a bad thing."  
"Oliver. . . They're letting a --"  
Just then the rest of the team burst through the door. "Wow," Oliver said, getting off his bed. "Doesn't this team no anything about privacy."  
"Coach is angry as hell," said Walter Travis, the Seeker and the smallest man in the room with bright red hair and green eyes. "He can't believe they'd 'ruin the sport like this'."  
"WHo's ruining it?" Oliver said. "It's seriously not that big of a deal."  
"Not that big of a deal?" said Yancy, shocked.  
"Oliver, this is the biggest thing since -- since -- since Harry Potter defeated You-Know-Who!" said James Johnson, one of the CHasers with blond hair and brown eyes. James was incredibly tall and it was amazing how he stayed on a broom.  
Oliver grinned. "I'll have you know i went to school with Harry Potter and he doesn't consider it that big of a deal."  
"Oliver this is serious, we don't have time for you to be making jokes," Bertrum Jones, Yancy's brother and the other Chaser.  
"Look, Oliver," said Kevin Marchin, the last Chaser with auburn colored hair and blue eyes, "we've been on this team a little longer than you so maybe the situation doesn't seem like such a big deal to you, but it's a very big deal."  
"Look, Kevin," Oliver said, "I can understand why you guys are upset. But we've beaten the Whomping Willows before. One knew addition isn't going to change that."  
"Yeah, but, they say this girl is really good," Thomas said.  
"She'd have to be good to get into the Males' leaque," Bertrum said.  
"That doesn't make a difference," Oliver said, grinning. "We've beat them before and we'll beat them again."  
The rest of the team started to loosen up and soon they were all laughing and agreeing.  
"Yeah, we'll show Miss-First-Woman-on-a-Man's-Team that she can't send us packing."


	3. Chapter 3 Opening Match

Oliver threw on his Quidditch robes and picked up his broom. This was the match. _The_ match. The match where, for the first time in Quidditch history, a girl would play on a man's team.

And hopefully not win.

Oliver had heard things about this girl. She was good, he had heard. For her tryouts out, she only missed one shot out of forty-nine, he had heard. She was incredibly fast, he had heard. She had Chaser moves that no one had ever seen before, he had heard.

He had heard that people were betting for her.

Which meant they were betting against _him_.

"You ready Oliver?" said Coach Bunkum, coming up to him. Coach Bunkum was a chubby man with balding orange hair. It was a wonder how he managed to keep up with the team sometimes.

"As ready as i'll ever be," Oliver said.

"I'd hope so, Wood. I heard this girl was good. She --"

"I know, i know. Only one out of forty-nine, incredibly fast, moves no one's ever seen. I've heard it all. I'm ready."

"Right. Team, huddle up!"

THe team huddled up with their hands in the center and the coach gave them the usual pep talk about how winning wasn't everything and how they were to try their best at every aspect of this game. He had a little something new though. "Let's show the little girl that this is a man's sport."

The team cheered but Oliver winced. HE had known some really good girl Quidditch players.

They entered the Quidditch pitch to cheers and roars as the announcer called their names as they flew in. Oliver waved to his many fans, some of the woman holding up 'I'm available' signs.

"And now for the Whomping Willows!" called the announcer. "Samson! Peppers! McCain! Brown! Tanks! Locks! And their newest addition . . . DAILY!"

Oliver spun around.

It couldn't be could it?

He watched as the last player came in. It certainly didn't look like her. But, then again, he hadn't seen her in about four years. Plus that, she was wearing flying glasses.

"Captains shake hands!" the referee said. Marchin stepped forward along with Samson and shook hands like gentlemen. This always made Oliver laugh because every time he used to have to shake hands as captain, he had to be careful not to get his hand broken before the game even started.

"On my whistle! Three -- two -- one!"

The teams shot in the air. Daily got the ball first and came shooting towards Oliver.

Oliver barely saw her coming.

"Ten points to the Willows!"

Oliver looked through the hoop to where the referee was retrieving the ball. He looked back at Daily, who was grinning wickedly. "Try and keep up, Wood," she said, flying off.

Oliver shook his head. No way this could be happening.

As the game progressed, he realized that he recognized some of her moves, the ones he had seen her practice when no one was around. Like the straight down drops when other Chasers were closing in on her. ANd the flips when she need some room to pass the ball. And the reverses she pulled when the Chasers were on both sides of her.

The most amazing thing Oliver saw was when she threw the ball straight over her shoulder and the Chaser on her team managed to catch it. Daily hadn't even looked!

A half hour into the game, they were down thirty to eighty. Merlin did they need to catch the Snitch.

Coach Bunkum called a time-out and the team hussled to the ground.

"Wood, where is your head today?" he said. "They're ahead by fifty! What are you thinking?"

Oliver felt embarressed. In truth, he had been a bit . . . dazed by how good Daily had gotten, if it was the same girl. Sure, she had always been amazing but now . . . Merlin!

"Sorry coach," Oliver said. "I'm trying my best."

"Well try harder. Let's get all get our heads in the game, shall we?"

The team went out there with a new resolve: Not to get totally embarresed in the first match of the season.

The whole truth was, the team was already embarressed. They had talked big back at the hotel but now that they were on their brooms, it was proven hard to stay true to all they had said. Since Daily had gotten on their team, the Willows obviously decided to train harder because Daily wasn't the only one who was good this season.

In another hour or so, Oliver and the Chasers managed to get the score to one hundred to one ten. If they could catch the Snitch, they would win.

Lucky for them, the Willow's Keeper was knocked unconcious.

Oliver looked up as the Quaffle was coming towards him. He grabbed it with the tip of his fingers and used his broom tail to hit it to the other side of the field. That move always worked! It always went in!

But Daily was obviously expecting this. She flew, zigzagging through the players with the grace and ease of a dancer. She turned at the right minute and caught the ball just before it went through the goal.

The crowd exploded in cheers as Daily threw the Quaffle to her fellow Chaser.

And they booed when a Bludger hit her in her back.

Oliver watched in horror as Daily was pitched forward on her broom. She slipped off and for one horrible second, Oliver thought she was going to fall the fifty feet to the ground.

But Daily managed to grab hold of her broom. She dangled from it with two hands as the game continued. Oliver seemed to be the only one who noticed that she was in pain, even though a lot of people were screaming. She pulled herself back onto the broom and flew back into the game.

Twenty minutes later, it was one thirty to one thirty and Travis was streaking after the Snitch. "Come on, Walter!" Oliver yelled.

It was a close call. But not close enough.

"The Willows win! Willows win!"

Daily and their Seeker were buried by their teammates. Oliver and his teammates flew to the ground, patting each other on the back. It was okay they told each other. They still had a chance to make it to the semi-finals and the nationals. It was their first match, they were just a little rusty. But Oliver could tell that this had been a humbling experience for all of them.

The teams lined up to shake hands, Oliver and Daily the last in each of their lines.

Daily had removed her flying glasses by the time Oliver reached her. She had changed a lot. In school, he remembered this mousy girl with glasses over her large brown eyes and a slight overbite, but still a cute face framed by short brown hair. This girl -- woman no longer wore glasses, the overbite was gone, her brown eyes seemed brighter, and her hair had grown down past her shoulders. In short, the cuteness had since worn out and she had grown into a beautiful young woman.

She shook his hand warmly. "Hello, Oliver," she said.

Her voice had changed too. In school, it had been high and raspy, but now it was middle-pitch and a tad bit husky.

Very Attractive.

"Hello, Nicole. . . . It's nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you too."

"How's your back?"

"Okay. Still stings a little. Might have just fractured something. . . . Told you i'd do it."

Oliver was confused about what she was talking about for a minute, but then he smiled. "I knew you could."

"Daily!"

"Wood!"

Oliver looked towards Bunkum while Daily looked to her coach and then back towards each other.

Daily smiled and winked. "Until Nationals, Oliver."

Oliver watched her walk off before he hurried to his own team.

Who says they have to wait until Nationals?


	4. Chapter 4 Letters

"'Dear, Daily . . .' No, no, no. 'Dear, Nicole. . . .' Good. Good Start. . . . 'Dear, Nicole. It was really nice seeing you again the other day. I was wondering if, maybe later, we could go out to lunch or something. Just to catch up on things, you know. Send me an owl if you want to.' Yeah. Yeah, that sounds much better."

Oliver signed his name on the letter, hoping it was okay. What if she got mad? After all, they hadn't talked in four years. Would she get mad if he expected to jump back into her life so suddenly?

Just then there was a tap on his window. Oliver crossed his flat to let in a small black owl. He took the letter it was holding and handed him an owl treat. The owl flew off and Oliver opened his letter.

_Dear, Oliver._

_It was really nice getting to see you again. Maybe we could meet up at the Café Bella, say around noon tomorrow, for a quick bite to eat and to catch up on things. It'll be great to talk to you again. Hope to see you there._

_Sincerely, Nicole._

Oliver smiled and folded up both letters.

She was always one step ahead, that Daily.


	5. Chapter 5 Cafe Bella

Oliver sat in the Café Bella, taping his fingers, somewhat nervously, on the table. For a minute, he was scared that she wasn't going to come. She was always known for being extremely punctual.

"Oliver."

Oliver looked up to see Nicole come in, and for a moment, he was shocked.

He realized that she had seductive curves to her body. They robes they wore in school and on the Quidditch fields never showed that part of her. The denim skirt she wore clung to her hips and was short enough to show off a pair of nice legs. The short she wore fit her just to the point where some skin was showing. Her hair swung from side to side as she walked, some of it falling into her face, making her look even more seductive.

He stood up as she reached the table and they gave each other a quick hug. He pulled out her chair for her and she sat down.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she said. "Did you order already?"

"No, I was waiting for you," he said.

"That was sweet of you." She smiled at him.

The waitress came over and took their orders.

"So, Nick," Oliver said. "What have you been up to? Well, besides the whole becoming world known for being the first woman to play on a man's Quidditch team."

Nicole laughed. "Nothing really. Just practicing, trying to get better."

"Get better? Why on earth would you need to do that?"

Nicole grinned shyly. "I'm not that good."

"Whatever you say. . . . So what happened at Hogwarts after I left? I read a lot of stories about Harry."

Oliver listened intently as Nicole clued him in to the Triwizard Tournament and that awful woman, Dolores Umbridge. He had missed so much and it made him a bit sad. All that adventure. The only thing he wouldn't have liked was the fact that he wouldn't have gotten to play Quidditch in their fourth year.

"I just have one question to ask you," Oliver said.

"What's that?"

"Who'd you go to the ball with?"

A tinge of pink came to her cheeks and a shy smile. "George Weasley."

"Really? That must have been interesting."

"It was . . . certainly different. Let's just say, I didn't know George could dance. It was fun though."

Their food came and for the first time, Oliver noticed that Nicole was left-handed.

And that she had a diamond ring on her ring finger.

"You're getting married?" he asked.

"What? Oh – no." For a minute, Oliver was scared she was going to say she was already married. She was only like twenty! "My boyfriend calls it a promise-ring."

"Who's your boyfriend?"

"Um, Hector Troops. He was a Ravenclaw, your year."

Oliver nodded his head. He remembered Hector Troops. A snob if he ever met one. Always thinking he knew it all. Probably couldn't give Hermione Granger a run for her money.

"How long have you guys been going together?"

"Since I got out of school."

"Wow, that's a long time."

"Yeah . . . So, how about you Mr. Man of the Year. Any loved interests?"

"Not of late, no. I'm still searching for the right girl."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find her soon."

"Yeah, me too." Oliver grinned at her, changing the subject as he did.

He wasn't one to dwell on his love life. It was a distraction, at most, to his Quidditch career.

But, Nicole proved to be somewhat of a distraction too, a good distraction, but a distraction. He found himself clinging to her words, loving how the fell off her lips. He had never really got the chance to talk to her like this when they were at school, except about Quidditch. But she was interesting to just talk to and to listen to. And they lost track of time listening to each other.

"Whoa," Nicole said, looking at her watch. "Oliver, it's going on six o' clock."

"Seriously?" he said, looking at his own watch.

Nicole stood up, reaching into her purse for her wallet. "I've got to go. Hector's going to kill me."

Oliver stood and put his hand on hers. "I'll pay."

Nicole looked up at him. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. You go ahead and get home."

"Thanks Oliver. We'll have to do this again some time. I had loads of fun."

Nicole quickly kissed him on the cheek and rushed out of the café.

Oliver sighed and laid the money down on the table as some girls came up to him, holding their receipts and napkins. "Excuse me, Oliver Wood, sir, could we get your autograph."

Oliver flashed his award winning smile and pulled a quill out of his pocket, always expecting. "Sure."

As he signed, he looked towards the door through which Nicole had disappeared. He'd have to be the first to write her an owl next time.


	6. Chapter 6 So Much Better

Nicole arrived home three minutes after she left Café Bella, looking around the house as she entered. It was too quiet. He was there, she knew he was.

She heard his footsteps before she saw him and she sprinted towards the bathroom, wondering if she was going to make it in time.

A hand grabbed her wrist just as she entered the bathroom and it yanked her back out.

Hector stood in front of her, looking ferocious even with his thick glasses, bright blue eyes, and short brown hair. He regarded her calmly before saying, "Where have you been?"

"I was just meeting up with an old friend," Nicole said, her voice shaking ever so slightly. "We hadn't seen each other in forever so we decided to meet up."

Hector looked at his watch, his hand tightening on her wrist. "You were supposed to be home a two."

"I know and I'm sorry. I lost track of time."

"Yeah, well while you were off 'losing track of time' I was sitting her starving my arse off!"

"Hector, darling, there's plenty of food in the pantry."

The back of his hand connected with her cheek and she hit the wall, sliding to the floor.

"Next time I want dinner, you'd better be here to fix it!"

He stormed off, mumbling about 'bloody long lost friends' and such, leaving Nicole on the floor, her face stinging from the slap and the tears flowing down her cheeks.

He hadn't always been so short tempered. But that was before she started petitioning to be on the Whomping Willows. Since then he had shouted and belittled her every time she did something slightly wrong.

It was when she started practicing with the Whomping Willows that he began to hit her. He complained that she was supposed to be home when he got there, cleaning and cooking. She retaliated saying 'they weren't married yet and he knew how to do all those things by himself'.

And he slapped her.

She still wasn't quite sure why she was still there.

She wasn't even sure how she had got with him in the first place.

Especially when she had some harbored feelings for Oliver Wood left over.

But he still wasn't interested, she could tell, and Hector was . . . there.

Nicole pulled her knees to her chest, still crying. She deserved better than this. A whole lot better. She was Nick Daily, fastest Chaser Hogwarts had ever seen. She was Nicky Daily, daughter of famous Quidditch player Lawrence Daily! She was Nicole Daily, the first bloody woman ever to play on a bloody male's Quidditch team! She deserved a whole lot better than Hector What's-His-Face. . . !

Problem was . . . there was only Hector. Has been only Hector for two years. Probably always will be Hector for the years to come.

Why couldn't she find better?


	7. Chapter 7 Vicious

Oliver decided he'd go watch the Whomping Willows play against the Chudley Cannons, who were absolutely not happy about Nicole being on the opposing team, or in the Men's league for that matter. There were rumors going around that they were planning on giving Nicole a hard time.

Oliver sat down in the stands with his binoculars as the Whomping Willows shot out of their changing room. Nicole saw him as they swooped around the stands and she gave him a small wave which he returned happily.

They game started off feisty. A Willow Chaser had gotten the Quaffle first and was almost immediately hit, purposefully, by a Bludger, making him drop the Quaffle. The other Willow Chaser grabbed the ball out of the air, flying towards the goal . . . when a Chudley Chaser knocked the ball out his arm.

Nicole raced towards the opposing Chaser as the two Chudley Beaters raced towards her.

"Watch out!" Oliver called, his voice mingling with many other shouting warnings.

Nicole saw them just in time, clubs raised, aiming for her head and she rolled upside down, hanging from her broom like a sloth.

The Beaters' clubs met with air as Nicole flew forward, still hanging upside down from her broom.

The Chudley Chaser cried out as Nicole knocked the ball from his arms, righting her self and flying back towards her post.

The Chudley Keeper didn't even see it coming.

Ten to zero. And the Willows were one Chaser down.

The game was vicious, to say the least.

The Chudley Cannons tried for the past two hours to bring the team down one by one. So far, the Whomping Willows only had two chasers, a beater, and their seeker left. The Cannons would stop at nothing to take out Nicole.

After countless attempts to her well-being, Nicole seemed tired. Oliver could tell from the stands that she was flying less vigorously and not working as hard.

And the score was still ten to zero.

The Willows' coach called his third time-out and Oliver went down to their locker room.

Nicole was sitting on the bench, breathing hard and gulping down bottles full of water. "You okay?" Oliver said, sitting next to her.

She smiled weakly at him. "Never better."

"You've got to keep going, Nick," he said, patting her arm. "You're the best one out there and they know it. So show it to them."

Nicole smirked and stood with the rest of her team. "Thanks Oliver."

When Oliver got back to his seat, the score was up twenty to ten to the Willows and Nicole had the Quaffle again, heading back towards the goal.

It was then that an opposing Beater crashed into her.

Oliver hopped to his feet as Nicole was flung from her broom, falling towards the ground. The referee was blowing hard on his whistle while the crowd screamed and gasped.

The other Willow Chaser sped forward and caught his teammate, sitting her on his broom.

Oliver sat back down, feeling dazed and disoriented. She could have died. He watched, vaguely, as Nicole received her broom, limping slightly, and flew back up to the goal post to take her penalty.

Thirty to zero.

Someone needed to catch the Snitch and soon before the Cannons actually killed Nicole.

The game continued in the same direction, but less violent because, obviously, the Cannons were seriously close to having to forfeit for misconduct.

It seemed like no time before the Willow Seeker caught the Snitch.

Oliver rushed back down to the changing rooms as the Willows went into their locker room.

"Nicole?" Oliver called, walking into the hot locker rooms. One of her teammates pointed to the showers, where Nicole obviously had taken to changing considering the circumstances.

He knocked on the door and heard her muffled voice say, "Just a minute."

Almost exactly a minute later, the door opened and Nicole was standing there, dressed in normal jeans and a t-shirt. She smiled when she saw Oliver. "Come to check up on me, have you?"

"Of course I have!" Oliver said, hugging her. He leaned back with her in his arms, still studying her face. "You could've been killed!"

"She obviously wasn't."

Oliver and Nicole stand to see a man with thick glasses, bright blue eyes, and short brown hair. And he looked mad. Nicole quickly stepped away from Oliver. "Hello, Hector."

So this was the infamous Hector, was it? Oliver had remembered the name but not the face. He wasn't a very . . . attractive man.

Nicole quickly walked over to the man and wrapped her arm in his, bringing him closer to Oliver. "Oliver, this is my boyfriend, Hector Troops. Hector, this is Oliver –"

"Wood," Hector cut in, holding out his hand. "I'm a big fan."

Oliver took his hand and was almost immediately reminded of Hogwarts. Hector squeezed his hand, hard. No one could expect this for a firm, 'nice to meet you' handshake. This was clearly a 'back off' handshake, a 'she's mine' handshake.

"Nice to meet you," Oliver said, shaking his own hand slightly when they had let go.

Hector turned to Nicole and began to lead her out of the room. "Come on, darling. I better get you home to make sure you're okay."

"But I'm fine," Oliver heard Nicole say as they went out the door, followed by the pop sound of Disapparation.

"Cute couple huh?" The Seeker said, sarcastically.

"Yeah, seems like it," Oliver said. "He must really love her."

"Yeah and those bruises on her arms prove it."


	8. Chapter 8 Get Away

Nicole lay on the floor, battered and bruised.

Hector had been beyond mad when he saw her in Oliver's arms. Try as she might, she couldn't convince him that nothing had happened, nothing was happening, they were just friends, but he wouldn't listen.

He beat her, he raped her, he beat her some more and then left her on the ground to bleed.

'No more Quidditch', he had said.

'No more Oliver', he had said.

She was to stay in the house and be a housewife, something she had always dreaded and promised herself she would never become.

He was gone now, probably to buy her an 'apology' present, which she always accepted without a word for fear of him going off on her again.

But she found herself not wanting to be there when he returned. She found herself scared of what might happen when he returned.

Shakily, she pushed herself to her feet and rushed to her closet, pulling out an overnight bag. In a rush of adrenaline and complete and utter madness, she began to shove close and trinkets into the bag, scurrying around her room as if her life depended on it. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get out of there and fast.

She grabbed her broom and looked around the room quickly to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. And then she Disapparated with a loud 'pop'.

**Oliver POV**

'_Yeah, those bruises on her arms prove it_.'

The man's words ran through Oliver's head as he strolled down the street in the little wizarding village close by his flat.

Did that guy really beat her? And if so, why? Surely nothing Nicole did was ever wrong. And still, the thought of anyone putting their hands on a woman in a violent way made Oliver physically and emotionally sick. Especially when he thought that someone could be treating Nicole like that.

The thing that really bugged Oliver, though, was if that man was really hurting her, why didn't Nicole just leave? Why would she take something like that? She had been beaten by Bludgers and still gotten back up onto her broom and taken off. Wouldn't she be strong enough to leave after the first time a man hit her?

So preoccupied in his thoughts, Oliver didn't notice when a figure came sprinting around a corner until they crashed right into him. Both were flung backwards, the other's things flying across the pavement, their broom splintering slightly.

"I'm so sorry," said Oliver, crawling around on his knees and gathering up the person's things. "I didn't see –"

Oliver had gone to reach for the broom when he recognized it. The person snatched it out from under his fingertips and scurried to their feet, hurrying off again. Oliver jumped to his own feet and followed after them.

"Nicole!" he cried, chasing after her. Why wasn't she stopping? "Nick!"

He finally caught up to her and grabbed her by her arm. "Nick, why'd you –?"

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, wrenching from his grasp so powerfully that she fell to the ground once again.

Oliver stood silently, listening as she sobbed into her hands. He carefully kneeled beside her and gently took her by her shoulders, lifting her to a sitting position.

She looked a mess. Blood was clotted in her hair and on her face, running down and mixing with her tears. Her shirt and pants were ripped in various places where Oliver could see the beginnings of very bad bruises.

"Merlin, Nick," he whispered. "How could you let him do this to you?"

Nicole continued to cry, shaking her head slowly. "I-I have to f-find a place to s-stay. He's g-going to be l-looking for me. I have to h-hide."

Oliver shook his head, appalled at the fact that that man could do this to her, the fact that he could turn the Nicole he knew into a shell of her bold self. "You deserve so much better than that, Nick," he murmured.

Oliver stood to his feet and offered his hand to her. She shrunk away from him.

"Come on, Nick," he said. "It's me, Oliver. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you. I'm going to take you back to my place. Come on."

Slowly, she reached up and took his hand and he Apparated back to his place.

At his flat, he took Nicole's things from her and showed her to the bathroom, giving her an extra pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt for the night. Soon, he could hear the water running in the shower.

He set her things down behind the couch and conjured up another bed near his, complete with a nice, comfy quilt and pillows.

An hour or so later, Nicole came up out the bathroom, her hair tied up into a bun and the blood off her face, revealing the various cuts around her mouth and on her cheeks. Oliver noticed then that she was also sporty a black eye and walking very slowly.

He carefully drew her over to her bed and set her down, pulling out his wand. Holding up her chin with one hand, he used his other to perform various healing spells on her cuts.

"He told me I couldn't play Quidditch any more," Nicole said in a voice barely above a whisper. "He said there were too many men, too much temptation for me. I told him that I lived in a co-ed school with boys for seven years and never once fell into 'temptation'. But he refused to listen. He just kept saying 'no more Quidditch', 'no more Oliver Wood'. I told him I'd didn't care if he made me stop playing Quidditch but I wasn't about to let him tell me who my friends could and couldn't be and then he went off. He never – never did all this before. I thought I was going to die."

"I wouldn't have let him kill you," Oliver said, looking into her eyes.

Nicole managed a small smile. "I know you wouldn't have Oliver."

Oliver finished healing up her cuts. Her face was back to normal now except for the black eye. Oliver reached over and brushed his fingers across her eye, gently, not quite sure why he did it.

Nicole looked away from him and down at the floor. "Quidditch accident. I – I got hit in the face with the Quaffle."

Oliver sat back and shook his head. "You shouldn't have to live like this, Nick."

"Don't you think I know that, Oliver?" Nicole said, sounding a bit like her normal self. "But, where am I supposed to go if I leave him?"

"'Go'? What are you talking about 'go'? Your one of the most famous Quidditch players around right now! You could go anywhere! Matter of fact, why don't you just kick him out of the house you live in now? I'm sure you're paying for most of it!"

Oliver hadn't meant to yell but Nicole was being a bit crazy. He knew she knew she deserved so much better than what she was living like now. She deserved to be treated like a Queen, like a rose, like an angel, and yet, here she was letting some git punch her around.

He got up and sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Just – just think about it okay? You know you shouldn't have to live like that, Nick."

"I know. I'm trying. . . . I did better tonight. I've never left before."

Oliver gave her a small smile, glad that, even if she had been hurt, he was the one to find her and not some creep. "Get some sleep, Nick."

He got off her bed and crawled into his own. When he turned over to say goodnight, she was already asleep. Another smile came to his face as he watched her twist around to lie on her back, her right arm going up over her head and her left arm flinging across her stomach. The moonlight from the crack in the shades shone onto her face, illuminating her beauty, despite the black eye.

Why did this all fell so natural?


	9. Chapter 9 Hectic

Oliver woke the next morning to find Nicole sitting up in bed, crying into her hands. He could pretty much guess why she was crying and his heart reached out to her.

"Nick?" he said softly.

She stopped crying and wiped at her eyes. She looked over at him, giving him a small smile. "I'm sorry Oliver, did I wake you?"

"No, no," he said, sitting up. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure what to do, Oliver. I can't go back there, he'll kill me. I probably made him angrier by running away."

"Then stay here."

"What?"

Oliver realized what he said and how fast he had said it. He shook his head slightly and said, "You can stay here. I mean, at least until you get another place to stay."

"Oh, Oliver, I couldn't. I wouldn't want to impose."

"You wouldn't be imposing. I live alone in this big old flat. There's plenty of room."

Nicole looked on the verge of answering when her gaze caught the digital clock sitting just off to the side of Oliver's bed. The only Muggle contraption he owned.

"Oh my! Is that really the time? I've got to go! We've got practice today!"

She scrambled off of the bed and grabbed her bag by the couch, running towards the bathroom. Oliver chuckled as he heard her stumbling about in there, trying to take a quick shower and get dressed and brush her teeth at the same time.

She came dashing out, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, pulling on her Quidditch Robes. She grabbed her broom and her wand and rushed over to Oliver, surprising him by giving him a quick peck on his face, at the corner of his mouth. "You're the greatest, truly."

She stepped back and Disapparated, waving at him and saying, "I'll see you later!"

Oliver's eyes were still stuck on the spot where she had just Disapparated from. He realized that his face was hot, too, from her kiss. He sighed and fell backwards into his bed.

If one thing was for sure, with Nicole, life would never be normal.


	10. Chapter 10 Happy

Nicole tied her dripping hair up into a bun.

As usual, she was the very last one to leave the locker rooms at the end of practice, considering she let all the guys use the showers first. She rather liked not having to rush for all of them to get in there.

"Nicky?"

Nicole froze, her brush dropping from her hands. Trying to appear calm, she lowered her hands and rested them across her chest, one hanging dangerously close to her wand. "What do you want Hector?"

She could hear him coming closer behind her. "I miss you Nicky."

"Should have thought about that before you hurt me, huh?"

"You know I didn't mean to do that Nicky. Please come back to me." A shiver ran through her body as he placed his hands on her shoulders and nuzzled his lips against her neck. She remembered when that shiver used to make her feel so good.

She turned and gently pushed him away from her. "I need some time to myself, Hector. Just give me some time to get over this."

"Will you ever get over it?"

"I might."

"Can you at least tell me where you are staying?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. . . . I've got to go, Hector." Grabbing her bag, she quickly Apparated back to Oliver's flat.

"Oliver?" she called.

No answer. There was a note on his fridge though.

_Dear Nick,_

_Gone to pick up some groceries. Feel free to help yourself to whatever's left in the fridge. Hope your practice went well. Be back soon._

_Love, Oliver_

Nicole's heart swooped as she held the note against her chest, looking around Oliver's flat.

This was what she wanted. What she had always wanted. To be here, with Oliver, the boy of her dreams.

She finally, for that moment, was able to consider herself happy.


	11. Chapter 11 Confused

It continued on like that.

Nicole continued to stay with Oliver and Oliver continued to become happier every time he saw her.

She was like a light, he realized, to his ordinary, dark, and boring life. She brought color and excitement to his lonely home.

She made him consider asking her to stay forever.

But he ignored the thought. She wouldn't want to. He had a feeling his was mostly like a brother to her.

* * *

As for Nicole, she never told him that Hector continued to come and see her at her practices. He was there every time she was, waiting for her with a batch of flowers or a box of candy.

It was this last practice that he came to her with a piece of jewelery.

A wedding ring.

The rest of her teammates were gone and Nicole was once again wrapping her hair up from a shower.

When she turned, he was there on bended knee, the wedding ring held out to her.

"Nicky, I miss you," he said. "And we've been together so long. I want to spend the rest of forever with you, Nicole Daily."

Nicole was lost for words. Sighing, she kneeled down in front of him. "Hector, I –"

He placed his hand over her mouth. "Shh. Don't say anything yet. Just, think about it right now."

He leaned forward and kissed her.

* * *

Nicole Apparated into Oliver's flat and almost immediately, he covered her eyes.

"Oliver?"

"Just wait a minute, Nick." She could hear the laughter in his voice. "Keep your eyes closed. I have a surprise for you."

He moved his hands from her eyes and grabbed her hands, pulling her slowly through the flat.

Nicole took a shaky breath. "Oliver, I have something to tell you."

"Just a minute, Nick. Let me show you my surprise first."

"But Oliver –"

"Ta da! Open your eyes."

Nicole opened her eyes, her hands flying up to her mouth.

He had made a cupboard next to his with her name on it. She reached out and opened it. Inside were six shelves, one laden with towels for shower use. "Oliver, I –"

"I thought you'd like something to put your clothes in," he said, smiling down at her. "You know, so that you don't have to keep going back to that house when you know Hector's not there. It's just temporary, of course, until you find your own place. But, you don't have to rush."

Nicole looked between Oliver and the cabinet. It wasn't a big thing, that cabinet, but to Nicole it was a major thing.

She jumped up and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and held her up to him.

They pulled away breathless. "You have absolutely no clue how long I've wanted to do that," Nicole said.

"Oh Really?" Oliver said, giving her a sly smirk. "How long?"

"Since first year."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Well, than I say we make up for the past twelve years, don't you?"

"I certainly do."

And with that, he bent down and kissed her again.


	12. Chapter 12 Leaving

Oliver woke the next morning to find out that Nicole wasn't lying next to him anymore. He heard her mumbling from the shower.

He reached down and grabbed his pants from off the floor, getting out of bed. As he was zipping them up, Nicole came rushing out of the bathroom, looking frazzled.

Her back was facing him, so he went over and grabbed her from behind. "Morning, Nick!" he cried happily.

"Oliver, put me down now!" she cried.

Oliver set her down, feeling confused. She back away from him, trying to straighten her wrinkled cloths.

"Nick?" Oliver said, giving a little nervous laugh. "What's wrong?"

"What's _wrong_?" Nicole asked, running her fingers through her hair. "Oliver, I just – you just – we just – did that!"

She pointed towards the bed, which was incredibly askew. Oliver looked and a smirk came to his face. "And, what's the problem?"

Nicole sat down on the edge on the couch, sighing. "Oliver, do you remember that . . . before we did that, I wanted to tell you something."

Oliver gave her a sly grin. "Vaguely."

"I wanted . . . I needed to tell you that . . . I'm engaged."

Oliver collapsed onto his bed. After a moment of silent he said, "_What_?"

"It happened yesterday . . . after practice. He asked me –"

"And you decided to say yes so that he could beat you again!" Oliver hopped to his feet, his fist clenched at his sides. He wasn't angry, just incredibly hurt. She was just going to leave him for that . . . that monster!

"Oliver, you don't understand!"

"I understand perfectly, Nicole! You don't think you deserve to be treated better than how Hector treats you! You don't think you deserve to be loved or cared for! I can give you that but you won't let me!"

It was out there now. She knew how he felt. Oliver rushed over and grabbed her hands in his. "Stay with me, Nicole. Don't let him do this to you."

Tears streamed from her eyes as she removed her hands from Oliver's. "I can't see you anymore, Oliver," she said, backing away from him.

And she Apparated out, leaving Oliver feeling empty and alone.


	13. Chapter 13 Wedding day

Nicole sat in front of a mirror, looking at herself.

She looked stunning.

Her hair was pulled up on top of her hair and held up with pearls and her wedding dress hung off her shoulders.

She would have looked even more beautiful had she had a smile on her face.

This was supposed to be her special day.

Everyone was out there, including the _Daily Prophet_.

She should be the happiest girl on earth.

But she wasn't.

"You're gorgeous."

Nicole looked up to see Oliver standing in the doorway. He gave her a small smile but she could tell he wasn't happy either.

"Thank you," she said.

"Are you sure you're making the right choice? Becoming Mrs. Hector Troops?"

"Of course." She didn't even sound sure to yourself.

Oliver sighed, shaking his head. "I came by because I thought I'd talk to you one more time. Make sure you're making the right decision. But if you think you are then . . . okay. I just hope we can still be friends, because I really enjoyed your company these last couple of months. . . . Just, make the right choice, Nick."

He walked away then, closing the door behind him.

Nicole continued to stare into the mirror.

She was making the right choice, wasn't she?"

A single tear ran down her cheek.


	14. Chapter 14 Quite All Right

Oliver sat on his couch, his head in his hands.

He was so depressed at the moment that he felt he could hardly move.

She had loved him, he could tell, but she wasn't willing to be with him.

And to think, he had come so close to asking her to stay with him.

Behind him, he heard a small 'pop'. "Hello, Oliver."

He stood quickly and turned, a small smile appearing on his face. "Nick."

She approached him, looking around his flat. "Doesn't appear to have changed much."

"It's only been a month. Besides, there's not much to change. . . ."

He stared at her concerned for a minute, wondering if he was imagining things. She noticed. "What is it?"

"Nothing really," he said, smirking. "I just was wondering about a wedding that was supposed to happen today."

"A wedding? Who was it?"

"Aw, just some girl who happened to be the first woman ever to play in the male's Quidditch league."

"Oh, _that_ wedding. Yeah, I heard she changed her mind, called it off."

"Did she? Do you know why?"

"She realized how much of a creep her fiancé was. I heard she feels really stupid for not realizing it sooner. So, she called it off."

"Called it off or high tailed it before it started?"

"A little of both. She left a note."

Oliver laughed. "So, what's in store for her now."

"Well, I managed to get a word in with her and she told me that instead of becoming Mrs. Nicky Troops, she much rather be Mrs. Nick Wood. . . . If that was all right with the other guy."

Oliver leaned over and kissed her. "Oh I think it's quite all right.


End file.
